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Basic Information

Developed for the SOE during WW2, the De Lisle has the reputation of being one of the quietest firearms ever made - according to legend the loudest noise it made was either the bolt chambering the next round, or the bullet hitting the target. If the legends are true, this would make it one of the very few weapons to approach the performance of cinematic silenced weapons.

The De Lisle was a Lee Enfield rifle rebuilt to fire 45ACP pistol rounds with the barrel replaced by a purpose built baffle suppressor. Since the 45ACP is a naturally subsonic round and the suppressor was huge it is not entirely surprising that an extremely quiet shot could be taken. Other refinements included a velvet lined box to catch spent case and the weapon used standard M1911 magazines.

British special forces are known to have used the De Lisle as late as the Malayan campaign but it is assumed that there are none left in inventory - most of the production run is said to have been destroyed at the end of WW2 to prevent them finding their way into general circulation.

Sources

Bibliography

1. full source reference

Game and Story Use

Could be an interesting puzzle for a modern forensic scientist: the .45ACP is an easy round to suppress, but most suppressed .45s don't have the (approximately) 200m effective range that the De Lisle has, and are not as quiet. That brass box also means that you're not leaving case behind.

Given the rarity value, a De Lisle could make for an excellent signature weapon, and could even be the target of a collector quest.